Copper Stainless Steel Reaction

Any corrosion product if washed onto stainless steel may however result in problems not associated with the bi metallic effect and so not be predicted from the tables.

Copper stainless steel reaction.

The elbows must be permanently joined to one frame member at each knock down joint. In addition the area ratio of stainless steel to copper altered copper corrosion behavior. However mixing these metals is not generally advised due to the potential for sudden pipe corrosion and discolored water. I wish to use hard copper elbows to join aluminum tube frame members.

I am constructing a project utilizing a knock down aluminum tube frame. Iron and steel are generally not a problem unless their mass is similar or smaller than that of the copper. Galvanic corrosion can be controlled by the use of sacrificial anodes isolation of the metals from electrical continuance protective plastic coatings or epoxy coatings or with corrosion inhibitors. In the copper stainless steel couple the open circuit potential of stainless steel was found to play a decisive role.

These metals are used because of their durability and long lifespans. It is not necessary to isolate copper from lead tin or stainless steel under most circumstances. The principal metals of concern in terms of direct contact are aluminum and zinc. There are three commonly used metals for potable water plumbing pipes including stainless steel copper and brass.

In most cases when stainless steel was in the passive state and acted as the cathode the contact accelerated copper corrosion.